


today i saw the whole world

by joydecoy



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Drabble, M/M, Soulmates, Trains, a single tender feeling, lapslock, lots of prose about said tender feeling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-18 10:17:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21509452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joydecoy/pseuds/joydecoy
Summary: “我们会相见 忘记了想念” (forget your yearning, for we will meet again.)
Relationships: Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	today i saw the whole world

minghao is here. 

here he is, drenched in darkness, the wind a howl in his ears. here he is, shuddering from the cold, pulling the sleeves of his thin hoodie over his fingers. the lonely blue world finds lonely kids, and so it wraps its long arms around minghao easily.

exam season always means loneliness for him, the scrawny, b-boying kid who never talks. his friends have other friends, better friends, friends that don’t care about studying as much as minghao does. their future is already set for them, after all: a typical 9-to-5 job with a typical family and a typical house in anshan that they will never leave. they’ve already settled for the ordinary, leaving their dreams locked away in forgotten boxes shoved under the bed, gathering dust.

but minghao _wants_. he still recalls the cheers and screams of the crowd from his very first b-boy performance, its wildfire spark that had set his soul on fire. he could write essays, perform monologues about the way it made him feel. for those measly three minutes, he was alive. 

it’s left in him a nameless hunger, a smouldering ember that he carries gingerly in his heart. studying was now a blaring exit sign, a light at the end of the tunnel to professional dance schools and auditions. minghao clings onto it desperately, dreaming of the day he can graduate as the top scholar of his school; only then can he be free to choose his path in life.

the train station feels reminiscent of a ghost town, a little blurry and out-of-focus during the late hour. minghao drifts listlessly. miraculously, his train has already arrived, and he steps into its garishly white light, squinting. 

a semi-empty train carriage greets him, but he doesn’t bother finding a seat, choosing to slump against the side of the train door. he lets out a deep sigh, lets his gaze drift lazily across the rest of the commuters on the train.

minghao glances at the stranger standing across from him, and the world tilts abruptly on its axis. 

if minghao is a dying ember too stubborn to die out, then this is a violent sea wind, powerful enough to knock the air out of him completely. It rushes over him fiercely, this frantic buzzing in his veins that _yearns_. it’s something he’s never, ever felt before. all he can feel is the _pull_ between him and the stranger, a cosmic, otherworldly feeling that tugs at him like a string, compelling him to come closer.

the stranger was just— just that. a stranger. a gangly teenager, in a douchey tank-top that hangs loosely against his skinny frame, the kind that just _screams_ that he’s straight and probably an asshole. patterned cartoon shorts too, like he’s just another college student too lazy to do laundry. the awkward tilt of his long, tan limbs is nothing out of the ordinary either.

he’s a _bro,_ as mingming would say. nothing about him screams _hot,_ or _handsome,_ or even _cute._ he’s just like minghao, just another tired student. so what exactly was— what exactly was so special about him? 

the air between them shimmers, catches the light. minghao’s heart shudders in his chest.

he’s no stranger to the spark of attraction, an innocent, pure sort of emotion that knocks on the door of his heart. but this — this is a gush of strong wind that slams the door open without warning, knocks him clean off his feet, leaves him breathless and raw. 

underneath the stranger’s heavy eye-bags, messy hair, and day-old stubble, lies unusually sharp, almost feline features that contrast a broad jawline and full lips. his head is tilted, strong eyebrows furrowed as he squints at his phone. minghao imagines that in another life, the stranger would be a prince, maybe even a celebrity. 

the stranger slides easily into his daydreams, into every elaborate alternate universe minghao’s made up in his head, like he was meant to be there all along. in one universe where minghao’s an artist, the stranger is his muse for every single one of his paintings. in another, minghao’s a prince destined to take over his father’s throne, and the stranger is his royal advisor. in yet another universe, minghao’s favourite by far, both of them are dazzling idols, conquering the music world by storm, hand-in-hand.

in every universe, minghao imagines that they meet and fall in love.

the word comes to him like a breath of fresh air. _soulmates._ minghao’s never truly believed in soulmates, but right now, in this tiny moment tucked away in time, he lets himself cup the glimmer of hope in the palms of his hands.

when they accidentally make eye contact, minghao’s heart stops in his chest. he tries to look away, but it’s already too late. in that split-second, he sees the grand multitudes of futures unfurling before him, destiny beckoning. 

there’s no electricity, no heat in the air. it’s this: it’s a well-loved, worn-out sweater found under the bed after years. it’s the first sigh of relief after arriving home. it’s an ambling, quiet river full of promise. it’s _oh. there you are. where have you been all my life?_

 _i’m here,_ minghao wants to answer. _i don’t know how i’ve survived without you all this time, but i’m here now._

distantly, minghao hears the broadcasted announcement for the next train station, knows that he needs to alight or he’ll miss his stop, knows that he needs to eat supper. but all those thoughts fade into the background as he watches the stranger approach him with steady steps and a quiet smile.

the train jerks to a stop abruptly. minghao watches with horror as the stranger knocks his head on one of the metal poles, sending a loud clanging noise vibrating through the air. he stumbles to a stop in front of minghao, groaning.

“shit, are you okay?” minghao asks worriedly. the stranger looks up at the sound of his voice. 

“this really wasn’t how i wanted this to go,” he smiles, embarrassed. “please forget what i just did. hello, i’m junhui.”

“i’m minghao.” junhui’s face lights up.

“minghao.” he says it carefully, like it’s safe inside his mouth. the buzzing in minghao’s veins crescendos to a symphony. “do you have any dinner plans?” 

“what, are you paying?” minghao teases, a smile tugging at his lips. junhui pretends to think, tapping an exaggerated finger against his chin.

“hm...maybe, but only if you give me your number afterwards.”

minghao thinks this might be the first day of his life.

“deal.”

**Author's Note:**

> based on an actual experience i had, except that i was too scared to approach her bc my country’s pretty homophobic + doesn’t do the whole kindness to strangers thing very well :)) this is just me self-projecting and fantasizing about a happy ending hahaha
> 
> kudos and comments are greatly appreciated <3


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